Show me ONE Oil sample that indicates the oil required changing earlier than 13,000 miles...JUST ONE!
Most MB engines using the properly rated oils indicate less than 15ppm iron in 13,000 miles of use which is about as low as it gets in terms of wear.
Its absolute BS that these engine benefit from early oil changes and as a statement of FACT the engines suffer from increased wear DUE TO EARLY OIL CHANGES.
The key is using the properly rated lubricants in these motors. Provided you use in the case of the CDI MB229.5 or MB229.51(Bluetec) you are assured of 19,000 miles or 30,000 km of lubricant protection. The fact that the US insists on 13,000 mile intervals already provides 6,000 miles of buffer from the certified maximum oil drain.
Anyone that proposes a shortened interval on these motors simply lacks all credibility and demonstrates a lack of understanding of what is involved in the requirements to maintain a modern engine.
Show me ONE Oil sample that indicates the oil required changing earlier than 13,000 miles...JUST ONE!
Most MB engines using the properly rated oils indicate less than 15ppm iron in 13,000 miles of use which is about as low as it gets in terms of wear.
Its absolute BS that these engine benefit from early oil changes and as a statement of FACT the engines suffer from increased wear DUE TO EARLY OIL CHANGES.
The key is using the properly rated lubricants in these motors. Provided you use in the case of the CDI MB229.5 or MB229.51(Bluetec) you are assured of 19,000 miles or 30,000 km of lubricant protection. The fact that the US insists on 13,000 mile intervals already provides 6,000 miles of buffer from the certified maximum oil drain.
Anyone that proposes a shortened interval on these motors simply lacks all credibility and demonstrates a lack of understanding of what is involved in the requirements to maintain a modern engine.
DB
Oh I apologize. I guess the fact that TSBs, Recalls and MB ending up paying for new engines in customers ML's at 90K-120K miles has no bearing on the fact that they might have messed up in the first place regarding the life of oil in the engines.
OH I guess I lack credibility from seeing everying first hand when I worked for MB myself, in the shop, dealing with these things and seeing direct results.
Everything looks REAL good on paper. Real world is a different story.
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Note the spike in wear during the activation cycle or wear in of the lubricant. Changing the oil more often increase the number of wear in cycles thus your engine is running in a perpetual state of NON-PROTECTION!
You would have LOWER wear rates changing the oil at 16,000-19,000 miles than if you change the oil every 6,000 miles if measured in a Fe ppm/1K sampling method.
I challenge you to show a SINGLE case where more frequent changes provided better protection when using APPROVED lubricants in the MB motors!
Tell the whole story, Thanks to folks that worked in the dealerships USING NON-APPROVED OILS ie Conventional oils that failed to meet ANY MB SPECIFICATION DESTORYED countless engines!
MB Germany Suffered from that fiasco and which is why we are forced to NOT utilize the full capaibilty of the extended service intervals.
Again DEALERSHIPS failed to follow the REQUIREMENTS of the motors and the specific need to utilize oils that complied with specific additive formulas for maximum engine protection.
But when you can produce an actual document, datasheet and specifications, documented by a liscensed and reputable engineering firm, with significant proof, then bother with it.
MB had specified, that you could use non-synthetic oil in the early W163s and still go 15,000 miles. They claimed their engines were so well designed and so efficent, they didnt need any more oil changes than that. Oops. The dealers were using MB specified oil.
I'm going on what was issued, as result of real world findings. I'm going to take the TSBs, Recalls and every other test we ran and MB ever saw, as more significance than what I've seen so far. Different driving styles, techiniques, climates and vehicles are going to change the life of oil. I know for a fact that I dont put even close to 15,000 miles on my vehicle before my oil is dirtier than I would ever want to see. It doesnt take much of a genius to figure this out. But then, when you learn under the #2 MB mechanic in the US, you dont tend to disagree with his 30+ years experience with MB alone. Anyone who runs any sort of oil for 19,000 miles is asking for trouble.
BTW: I change my oil every 8K miles. I dont care if my car says I can go 15,000 on my Mobil 1. It gets changed at 8. And mine, still doesnt burn a lick of oil. Did I mention, that I have yet to have any...ANY....drive train problems with 100,000+ miles? I saw engines getting pulled as early as 70,000 miles for carbon build up from burining oil due to scouring on cylinder walls, from not changing oil soon enough.
But when you can produce an actual document, datasheet and specifications, documented by a liscensed and reputable engineering firm, with significant proof, then bother with it.
MB had specified, that you could use non-synthetic oil in the early W163s and still go 15,000 miles. They claimed their engines were so well designed and so efficent, they didnt need any more oil changes than that. Oops. The dealers were using MB specified oil.
I'm going on what was issued, as result of real world findings. I'm going to take the TSBs, Recalls and every other test we ran and MB ever saw, as more significance than what I've seen so far. Different driving styles, techiniques, climates and vehicles are going to change the life of oil. I know for a fact that I dont put even close to 15,000 miles on my vehicle before my oil is dirtier than I would ever want to see. It doesnt take much of a genius to figure this out. But then, when you learn under the #2 MB mechanic in the US, you dont tend to disagree with his 30+ years experience with MB alone. Anyone who runs any sort of oil for 19,000 miles is asking for trouble.
BTW: I change my oil every 8K miles. I dont care if my car says I can go 15,000 on my Mobil 1. It gets changed at 8. And mine, still doesnt burn a lick of oil. Did I mention, that I have yet to have any...ANY....drive train problems with 100,000+ miles? I saw engines getting pulled as early as 70,000 miles for carbon build up from burining oil due to scouring on cylinder walls, from not changing oil soon enough.
Take it or leave it.
j_dawg_85, ...how could you explain this... I have ML430 My2000, I now have 100,517 miles on it and change oil based on FSS which is usually about 12K miles
I have no issues with engine so far... does it mean I'm just lucky?
That's an interesting article ... I come from the 3K school on all 4 of my cars ... I generally trade all of them within 3 to 4 years or 60K miles ... did the 1.2K on the ML500 and then at 6K. Dealer told me 6K was more than enough and I could go the full 13K without problems ... this article and discussion has been something to think about for me ...
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